Improvement in envelopes



2Sheets-Sheet 1. L. H ROGERS. Envelope.

No. 217,707. Patented July 22,1879.

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2 SheetsSheet 2. L. H. ROGERS. Envelope.

No. 217.707. Patented July 22, I879.

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N. PETERS, 'FHOT0 L|7HueRAPl-|FR, WASHINGTON, u. C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEBBEUS H. ROGERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN ENVELOPES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 217,707, dated July 2'2, 1879; application filed February 13, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEBBEUS H. Roenns,

of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Address-Indications 011 Envelopes, Postal Cards, &c., which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification.

My invention has for its object the placing on the address side of an envelope or postal card a guide for persons to know exactly in what particular part to write the name, city, county, and State, street-number, post-office box, &c., and at the same time not mar or make confusing the face of the envelope, nor interfere with the ready reading of the writin g. I

My invention will be of great service to the Post-Office Department in uniformity of address and neatness and plainness of writing, and will at the same time be a benefitto the public by resulting in a vast number of otherwise misdirected letters reaching their proper destination.

To more fully explain my invention I refer to the accompanying drawings, which represent the address side of a letter-sheet envelope or postal note.

I print on the said face of the envelope, in letters so fine and light that they do not interfere with the reading of the written address, words indicating exactly what is to be written on the particular spot, whereby if correspondents will follow the directions there given it will cause them to be more particularin writing names plainly and in adding full directions.

My mode of preparing the surface is to print with atint-bloek, thus having the whole surface of one color excepting the indicating\vords, which will appear in faint outlines in the original color of the paper before printing.

In the drawings the tinted portion is represented by fine lines.

Figure 1 represents a letter-sheet envelope or postal note open; and Fig. 2, the face of the same closed, with one end cutoff.

The open spaces, a b c (1 cf, Fig. 1, show the positions which the lines of words ordinarily occupy, the letters printed by means of the tint-block appearing in faint outline, in light color, or in the original color of the envelope, so as not to interfere with the reading of the address written thereon. Thus, in these spaces may be printed as follows:

a. Here is the Write plainly.

b. \Vrite here the name of the town; write plainly.

0. Write here the county plainly.

d. WVrite here the State.

0. Write here number and street or postoffice box.

f. If in the care of any one, write the name here.

The space 9 may be occupied by a request to postmaster-s to return the communication if not delivered within ten days.

The tint-block can be so arranged that it will also leave an outline for a stamp, as shown on the drawings by h, and also the words Postal Card or Postal Note, 850., or other words or designs, on the vacant space 1', thus requiring no extra printing for the stamp or said words, designs, 85c.

In Fig. 2, the words occupying the spaces a, I), c, d, h, and i are themselves represented. I do not, however, intend to limit myself to these words, nor the number and particular manner of arrangement, but specify them to more clearly indicate the manner in which my invention is carried into effect.

The tint-block can be fine engine-turned work, making it difficult to imitate and counterfeit.

The words can he water-marked; or the letters of the words can be made in fine dots or curved lines; or the letters composing the address-lines can be about one-quarter of an inch high, and indicate the height of space as well as length for writing such address, 85c.

Having thus fully described my invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be carried into effect, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

An envelope, or similar article to be sent through the mails, having its face printed in tint-block, with a series of address-indications formed of words arranged in lines, the said words, which appear in faint outline, indicating the address to be filled in, and the lines servplace to write the name 5 ing as guides to the writer in filling in the address, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEBBEUS H. ROGERS.

Witnesses E. B. OoNvERs, E. A. SEYMOUR: 

